Machine for picking feathers from fowls



May 17, 1949- E. B. DIGBY V 470,151

MACHINE FOR PICKING FEATHERS FROM FOWLS Filed Ndv. so, 1945 2 sheets-sheet 1,

Patented May 17, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR PICKING FEATHERS FROM FOWLS Emmet B. Digby, Atlanta, Ga.

Application November 30, 1945, Serial No. 631,981

Claims.

My invention relates to new and useful im-v vrubber and provided with a plurality of transe versally extending ridges of different heights.

Still another object of the invention is to pro- .vide a rod or strip preferably of natural rubber,

substantially semi-circular in cross section at its center, and the cross section increasing in depth toward the opposite ends of said rod.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a rod for use in a fowl plucking machine,

the rod having a plurality of transversally extending ridges extending from the one side of the rod over to the other side; the bottom of the rod being flat and the thickness of the rod increasing from its center towards the opposite ends.

Still another object of the invention is to provide flexible and pliable rods to be mounted at vtheir opposite ends to a rotating drum, the rods presenting an arcuate frictional surface, and the center of the arcs being more flexible than the remaining portions thereof.

Still another object of the invention ls to provide a flexible rod flat on its bottom, circular on its top and varying in thickness from its ends towards the center, the greater portion of the rod being provided with spaced ridges, the highest of which are located centrally of the length of the rod.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a plurality of rods each of which is provided at its opposite ends with enlarged pads or feet so that the feet may be fitted into spaced apertures in the drum, the said rods projecting outwardly from the drum in an arcuate and substantial semi-circular position.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a rod having projecting feet which may be quickly applied to spaced apertures formed in a metal drum by turning or twisting the rods so that they are normally tightly held in position but may be quickly removed by again revolving or turning the feet within the apertures.

With these and other objects in view the inven tion consists in certain new and novel arrangements and combination of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

Referring now to the drawings showing a preferred embodiment:

Fig. 1 isl a vertical sectional View of the stand -in which the rotary drum and its rods are located;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan of the drum showing the staggered arrangement of the rods;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the rods as mounted in the drum;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational View of the rod before being fastened to the drum;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 7 is a view of one of the feet on the end of the rod;

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 10 is a cross sectional View taken on line Ill- I0 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary top plan view of a portion of the drum showing the staggered apertures for the reception of the rods.

Referring now to the drawings and for the moment to Fig. 1 there is shown a conventional stand l in which is mounted a rotary drum 2, which will be driven by a motor 3 mounted on the top of the stand. There also may be seen the top 4 with a door 5 beneath the top so that any feathers that lodge under the table may be easily removed. The door may be hinged as at G. Also there will be the ordinary hood 'l extending over the drum.

In the drum 2 there is shown a supporting -spider 8 together with a driven shaft 8a, there being several of the supporting spiders. The internal structure of the drum forms no part of the present invention, but the arrangement of the outer Wall of the drum is important. This wall is provided with a plurality of transversally extending rectangular slots I 0 arranged to cooperate with special feet or pads Ii on the ends of the rods 9 which latter also form an important part of the invention.

These apertures Il! are spaced circumferentially about the drum in rows and the apertures in one row will lbe in staggered relationship with the apertures in the adjacent row, thus the end 'o f one rod 9 will appear about opposite the center portion of the adjacent rod.

I It will be noticed that these apertures Il! have their long dimensions extending transversally of the drum, so that the pads or feet i l on the ends of the rod il shortly to be mentioned, may be lslipped in place by positioning the feet parallel Now referring to Figs. 3 to 10 inclusive there is in which it is secured for quick removal to the drum.

As all of the rods are identical, a description of the one is a description of all. As heretofore mentioned, the rod is preferably formed of rubber of such elasticity or flexibility, that when in the arched position, as shown in Fig. 3, it will of the rectangular openings I0 so that by turn ing the foot parallel with the long dimension of the opening I0, it maybe quickly inserted and afterwards turned so that it cannot work loose or be removed unless turned by the operator.

" These rods wear out relatively quickly in serbend or yield under pressure; in other words, be 'A depressed slightly or flattened so that it will not tear the skin of the fowl from which the feathers are to be removed.

Naturally, the amount that each rod ilexes or depresses will depend upon how hard the operator presses the fowl against these rotating rods.

It will also be noticed that the rod is provided `with a flat under surface I2 and a semi-circular -top surface at its central portion as shown by Fig. 10.

It will also be noticed from Figs. 5, 8, 9 and 10 that the surface contour of the rod changes as the outer ends are approached as Well as the depth or thickness of the rod. In other words,

vdue to the arcuate under surface of the rod, the

thinnest portion of the rod is at its center as if" shown in Fig. 10, thicker as it approaches its end as shown in Fig. 9 and thickest at its outer ends as shown in Fig. 8. Thus, when the rod is attached as shown in F'ig. 3 the central portion is the portion that is most easily depressed or atfi, 'f

tened.

Also it will be noticed that the rod 9 is provided with a plurality of transversely extending ridges which simulate screw threads but are not in helical formation.

It will also be noticed'that centrally of the rod appears the highest ridge or projection I3 and -on the opposite sides of the central ridge I3 may be other ridges I4 of slightly less height while the remaining ridges I5 may or may not be all of the saine height.

In actual practice the rods are about 8 inches in length and these ridges occupy about 5 inches of the length of the rod so that a maximum of ridges or frictional surfaces are presented against the irregular surface of the fowl being picked or plucked as the rods are depressed. From this it will be seen that when the rods are all in their position on the drum, the fowl when being plucked is at all times in contact with most of these transversally extending ridges, so that the time for picking or plucking the fowl is reduced to a minimum.

Also in actual practice the angle of the ridges of the rods is 60 so that relatively sharp suryfaces are presented to the fowl in the plucking operation.

As it Will be appreciated, the highest ridges, that is, those as shown at I3 and I4 will take off the larger or outer feathers and the small ridges will remove the smaller or pin feathers.

Also it may be mentioned in actual practice -that the largest ridge I3 is preferably one-quarter of an inch in height while the ridges I4 may be three-eighties of an inch and the next ridges may vary from one-eighth to one-sixteenth of an inch as desired.

N-ear the opposite ends oft he rod 9 and adjacent to the inner surfaces of the feet or pads I-I may be seen the small grooves I6 from which ex- -tend the upper ends I'I of the feet or pads II.

These feet also'both-extend at an angle from the vertical as may be seen in Fig. 5 as heretofore mentioned. The height of the feet II is greater than the short dimension of thev rectangular'` openings IIland equal to the longer dimensions vice and by providing the feet II and the rectangular openings I0 in the drum as shown, it is but the matter of a moment to grasp a broken or damaged rod, turn rst one foot and then the other and thensremove the rod. To replace a rod the operations is just reversed.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have produced a plucking orfpicking machine for fowl that will operate in an eicient and quick manner to remove the feathers, and I have found in actual practice, that an operator can remove the feathers Y of said rod.

2. A rod formed offflexible material for a yfowl picking machine, the rod having a flat bottom side extending transversely of the rod and the said bottom side being arched longitudinallyv of the rodA to thereby provide a relatively thin central portion, and transversely extending ridges of varying height on the outer surface of the rod, the highest of the ridges being centrally of the rod.

3. A rod formed of flexible material for a lfowl picking machine, the rod decreasing in thickness from its ends towards its center, transversely extending ridges about the outer surface of the rod, and feet formed on the opposite ends of the rod adapted to interlock with cooperative recesses in a rotatable drum.

4. A rod formed of flexiblev material for a fowl picking machine, the rod decreasing in thickness from its ends towards its center, thread-like projections extending about the outer surface of the rod, integral feet angularly positioned at the opposite ends of the rod and the height ofthe feet being greater than their width.

5. A exible rod for usein a fowl picking machine, said rod being thinnest at its center and thickest at its opposite ends, the said rod provided with thread-like portions extending throughout the greater portion of the rod, the said threadllike portions being of varying height, and feet on the opposite ends of the rod for interlocking engagement with a support.

EMMET B. DIGBY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,213,717 Y Wenzel Jan. 23,1917 1,925,625 Budd Sept. 5, 1933 2,300,157 Hunt Oct. V2"(1942 2,350,656 Williamson June 6,;1944 2,376,120 Campbell May 15,191.5 

